How to Introduce Yourself at a Networking Event

Have you ever been to a networking event?  They can be a little fome sometimes, but they’re important events to connect with others and widen your professional network.  It can be scary to have to introduce yourself over and over again, especially in your second language, but there is an effective way to introduce yourself that shows your professional value and is more likely to get you remembered by the people you meet.  Let’s look at four quick steps to help you perfect your own introduction!

1)Say what you do, not what you are.   If I tell people, ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I’m an English teacher’’, they know one small thing about me—I teach English.   It seems pretty clear what I do, but it’s not, actually.  Does this other person know what is involved in teaching English?  Does he or she have a good, bad, or neutral opinion of English teachers?  Do they really understand the services I provide?  It’s hard to tell. Best case scenario, they think I teach grammar and vocabulary, but they don’t know that I help students apply to universities in other countries, prepare them for tests and interviews, translate documents between English and Spanish, or give assistance with student visa applications.  They have no idea!

But if I say, ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I help Chilean professionals and students get the language qualifications they need to study or work abroad’’, then they have a pretty good idea of what services I might offer.  That introduction will lead to questions:  ‘’How do you do that?’’, for example. This is an easy way to get a conversation started.  If you can make the person ask a question about you instead of talking on and on about yourself, you’ve already overcome the biggest challenge of these networking events!

So think about what you do, not what your job title is.  This can be challenging sometimes, but put some thought into the valuable skills you provide.  This is what you want to highlight. 

2) Put it into English.  You need to choose how to structure your introduction.  This isn’t as hard as it sounds, and once you’ve decided on how to introduce yourself, you’ll just memorize it and use it over and over. Your introduction should be something like ‘’Hi, I’m (your name).’’  Super simple, right?  Now you need to say what you do.  Lots of verbs, maybe some adjectives, and use the present simple tense to indicate that this is something you do daily/regularly.  Look at these examples for some inspiration!

• -          Hi, I’m Maria Martinez and I develop online media content for health insurance companies.
• -          Hi, I’m Martin Sanchez and I counsel new startups on their business plans and budgets.
• -          Hi, I’m Maria Martinez and I coach career-transitioning professionals in developing their personal brand.
• -          Hi, I’m Martin Sanchez and I help connect companies to the legal and accounting services they need.  

Talk to me in our next class about what you've come up with so far, and I'll help you perfect it!

3) Practice makes perfect.  Really, practice makes perfect.  Practice this in front of the mirror until you feel confident saying it.  Practice it in class with me.  Practice it with another person.  Networking events make most people nervous, but if you feel comfortable with your introduction and you know it like the back of your hand, you’ll be just fine!

4)   Prepare a few go-to questions for others and statements about yourself.  My introduction is ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I help Chilean professionals and students get the language qualifications they need to study or work abroad.’’  I should have two or three quick explanations about what I do prepared as well, in case the other person asks me.  I might prepare statements that detail my work further, such as:     

                               

        -   I prepare about half of my students to take tests like the IELTS or the TOEFL so they can apply for scholarships and study abroad.

        -  I work with professionals to improve their English skills so they can move up in their career.

          -   I sit down with students that are applying to universities and help them write their personal statements or other essays.  I also walk them through the visa application process when they want to travel to the U.S. as a student.

Having these details memorized makes answering questions a lot easier, especially when you’re nervous.  You should also prepare a few general questions to help facilitate a conversation between you and another person. If the person says, ‘’I’m Maria Martinez and I design graphics for new Startups in the Santiago area’’, you might have some very specific questions about her work.  That’s great!  But maybe you don’t even know where to start. MAYBE they gave you a terrible introduction (Hi, I’m Maria and I’m a graphic designer).  Here are a few go-to questions to fall back on:

-          Wow! What kinds of startups/clients/professionals do you usually work with?

-          That’s interesting! Do you know (a person, company, or about an interesting news story related to their profession).

-          How did you get into that field of work? (this invites the person to tell a story, which is a great way to engage someone.)

If you can speak comfortably about yourself and what you do, the challenge is half over.  Listen intently to what the other person says, ask them questions that show you are paying attention, and then thank them for their time. Asking to exchange business cards is a great way to show your interest in connecting with them in the future, and a great way to begin your exit.

What do you think is the most challenging part of introducing yourself?  Tell me in the comments section!